From the disability side....I worked with a guy in the 1990s who had a brother who claimed disability. My co-worker was absolute in opinion that the injury was bogus. The guy was only pulling around $850 a month so it was hard for me to envision going this direction...for such a limited amount of money...and thinking you could really live off this.
You can't really. BTW the $600 and $800 dollar figures I mentioned? The $613 is my wifes. She is an incomplete quadriplegic and has been 25 years. The $830 or so I draw for mine which happened 16 years ago. It wasn't one single thing that put me there but a sum total some of which were life long problems that got worse.
You're assuming he's not working in the cash economy.
I know people in their 20-40's - perfectly able to work, but have the new Illness de Riguer: Bi-polar. (At least they have the lingo down pat. It's a 'disease' that can't be medically diagnosed...
they get the $859 plus $200 food stamps, that $1059 a month plus 100% on all medical and counseling.
They are VERY good at finding free or next to free places to live...so take rent/mortgage out of the equation - and utilities.
Plus, they pick up under the table money doing odd jobs without working much.
Take away your rent/mortgage/prop. taxes, utilities, medical costs - do you have over a thousand left over?
some do, of course, with good paying jobs - but I think you could 'get along' on $1,000+ after fixed bills. And have all the hours of your days as one long vacation.
I know one gal in our town who flies off for visits to Calif. or Florida or Idaho - a visit to England - trips I sure can't afford on a regular basis. She's healthy and strong as a horse - but she was a druggy and an alcoholic and has 'bi-polar.' How can we expect her to WORK!s/